Dental impression kit and methods therefor

ABSTRACT

A method includes sending a dental impression kit to a user including dental trays of different sizes including a first set of dental trays having a first size and a second set of dental trays having a second size, a base putty, and a catalyst putty, where the base putty and the catalyst putty are mixable to form a putty mixture for creating dental impressions. The method includes receiving dental impressions created using the first set of dental trays, the first set of dental trays having been selected by the user based on a fit of a first dental tray of the first set on a dental arch of the user relative to a fit of a second dental tray of the second set, and manufacturing a plurality of dental aligners specific to the user and being configured to reposition one or more teeth of the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/047,694, filed Jul. 27, 2018, which claims the benefit of andpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/663,725, filedApr. 27, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/648,229,filed Mar. 26, 2018. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/047,694 is alsoa continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/725,430,filed Oct. 5, 2017, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/522,847, filed Jun. 21, 2017. Allof the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a dental impression kit and, morespecifically, to a system and method for application of a dentalimpression kit at home. The present disclosure also relates to anapplication server for remote orthodontic treatment and methodstherefor.

BACKGROUND

A dental impression provides a negative imprint of the teeth and tissuesin the mouth. The negative impression may then be utilized to produce aphysical or digital reproduction of the teeth, e.g. dentures andorthodontics. Generally, a dental tray having a viscous, thixotropicimpression material therein is fit over the dental arches of thepatient. The impression material sets to a solid leaving an imprint ofthe structures in the mouth. When removed from the mouth, the impressionprovides a detailed and stable negative of the teeth. Optionally, theimpression is processed using digital scanning methods to create thedigital negative of the teeth.

Traditionally, dental impressions are made in a dental office andrequire significant time. The impressions are then delivered to anoutside vendor that utilizes the impression to form a positive model ofthe teeth. If the dental impression includes any errors, e.g. incompleteimpression of the teeth and tissues, the patient may be required toreturn to the dental office to have a second impression made.

As an alternative method to traditional orthodontic procedures, in lesssevere cases, dental impressions may be made with an at-home dentalimpression kit. Such kits are generally prescribed by a dentalprofessional to qualified customers, e.g. in a dental office. The usermay then administer the contents of the dental impression kit at home.After completing the dental impressions, the kit is returned to thedental professional. Some at-home kits may be difficult to administerand/or may result in poor quality dental impressions.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method of administering thecontents of a dental impression kit is disclosed. The method includessending a dental impression kit to a user, the dental impression kitincluding a container having a top layer containing an initial dentalassembly and a bottom layer containing a redundant dental assembly. Thebottom layer is positioned below the top layer. The dental impressionkit has instructions for administering the initial dental assembly,administering the redundant dental assembly, and returning theadministered initial dental assembly and the administered redundantdental assembly. The instructions include an initial instruction, aredundant instruction, and a return instruction. The instructionsinclude instructing the user to administer the initial dental assemblyaccording to the initial instruction. The instructions includeinstructing the user to remove the top layer from the container toexpose the bottom layer. The instructions include instructing the userto administer the redundant dental assembly according to the redundantinstruction. The instructions include instructing the user to return theinitial dental assembly and the redundant dental assembly within apredetermined time frame.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the user ordered the dental impression kit.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the dental impression kit was sent to theuser.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the user is estimated to receive the dentalimpression kit.

In some embodiments, the predetermined time frame is two weeks.

In some embodiments, the dental impression kit further includes acontainer for returning the initial dental assembly and the redundantdental assembly. The shipping container can include a return mailinglabel.

In some embodiments, the dental impression kit is shipped in acontainer. The container for returning the initial dental assembly andthe redundant dental assembly and the container in which the dentalimpression kit are the same container.

In some embodiments, the predetermined time frame is represented on alabel positioned on the container.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a dental impression kitis disclosed. The dental impression kit includes a container having atop layer containing an initial dental assembly and a bottom layercontaining a redundant dental assembly. The bottom layer is positionedbelow the top layer. The dental impression kit further includesinstructions instructing a user to administer the initial dentalassembly according to an initial instruction. The dental impression kitfurther includes instructions instructing a user to remove the top layerfrom the container to expose the bottom layer. The dental impression kitfurther includes instructions instructing a user to administer theredundant dental assembly according to a redundant instruction. Thedental impression kit further includes instructions instructing a userto return the initial dental assembly and the redundant dental assemblywithin a predetermined time frame.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the user ordered the dental impression kit.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the dental impression kit was sent to theuser.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe includes instructing the user to return the initial dentalassembly and the redundant dental assembly within the predetermined timeframe from a date upon which the user is estimated to receive the dentalimpression kit.

In some embodiments, the predetermined time frame is two weeks.

In some embodiments, the dental impression kit further includes acontainer for returning the initial dental assembly and the redundantdental assembly. The shipping container may include a return mailinglabel and a label including the predetermined time frame.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a dental impression kitis disclosed. The dental impression kit includes a dental assemblyincluding a dental tray, a base putty, and a catalyst putty, the baseputty and the catalyst putty being mixable to form a putty mixture to bepositioned in the dental tray. The dental impression kit furtherincludes instructions instructing a user to mix the base putty and thecatalyst putty to form the putty mixture. The dental impression kitfurther includes instructions instructing a user to position the puttymixture in the dental tray. The dental impression kit further includesinstructions instructing a user to administer the dental tray. Thedental impression kit further includes instructions instructing a userto return the administered dental tray within a predetermined timeframe.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the administereddental tray within the predetermined time frame includes instructing theuser to return the administered dental tray within the predeterminedtime frame from a date upon which the user ordered the dental impressionkit.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the administereddental tray within the predetermined time frame includes instructing theuser to return the administered dental tray within the predeterminedtime frame from a date upon which the dental impression kit was sent tothe user.

In some embodiments, instructing the user to return the administereddental tray within the predetermined time frame includes instructing theuser to return the administered dental tray within the predeterminedtime frame from a date upon which the user is estimated to receive thedental impression kit.

In some embodiments, the dental impression kit further includes ashipping container for returning the initial dental assembly and theredundant dental assembly. The shipping container may include a returnmailing label.

In some embodiments, the predetermined time frame is represented on alabel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the various embodiments of themethods and apparatuses described herein will become more apparent fromthe following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container that contains the contentsof a dental impression kit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insert that is positioned within thecontainer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 in an openconfiguration to expose an instruction manual;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a top layer of the insert shown in FIG.2 and having part of the dental impression kit therein;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottom layer of the insert shown inFIG. 2 and having part of the dental impression kit therein;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bottom of the container shown in FIG.1 and having part of the dental impression kit therein;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of part of the dental impression kitincluding dental trays, base putty containers, and catalyst puttycontainers;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a dental appliance that is included inthe dental impression kit;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of gloves that are included in the dentalimpression kit;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for administering the dentalimpression kit shown in FIGS. 1-9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another container that contains thecontents of a dental impression kit;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 11 opened;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an initial dental assembly insert thatis positioned within the container shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another initial dental assembly insertthat is positioned within the container shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a redundant dental assembly insert thatis positioned within the container shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another redundant dental assemblyinsert that is positioned within the container shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a dental appliance insert that ispositioned within the container shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a dental aligner kit having a topinsert;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a dental tool kit of the dental aligner kitshown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of first lower inserts of the dentalaligner kit shown in

FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of second lower inserts of the dentalaligner kit shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment of asystem for remote orthodontic treatment and assessment;

FIG. 23 is a simplified block diagram of at least one embodiment of anenvironment that may be established by an application server of FIG. 22;

FIGS. 24A and 24B are a simplified flow diagram of at least oneembodiment of a method for remote orthodontic treatment and assessmentthat may be executed by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIG. 25 is a simplified flow diagram of at least one embodiment of amethod for 3D model optimization that may be executed by the applicationserver of FIGS. 22-23;

FIG. 26 is a screen shot of a smile assessment user interface that maybe generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIG. 27 is a screen shot of an account status user interface that may begenerated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIGS. 28A-28C are screen shots of an image upload user interface thatmay be generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIGS. 29A-29E are screen shots of a dental history questionnaire userinterface that may be generated by the application server of FIGS.22-23;

FIGS. 30A and 30B are screen shots of a photo assessment user interfacethat may be generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIGS. 31A-31E are screen shots of a provider portal user interface thatmay be generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIG. 32 is a screen shot of an account status user interface that may begenerated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIG. 33 is a screen shot of a 3D treatment plan viewer user interfacethat may be generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIGS. 34A-34F are screen shots of a staff portal user interface that maybe generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23;

FIGS. 35-37 are views of another embodiment of a dental tray;

FIGS. 38A-38D are screen shots of a check-in process user interface thatmay be generated by the application server of FIGS. 22-23; and

FIGS. 39 and 40 are views of a container containing the contents of adental impression kit according to another exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodimentsthereof have been illustrated by way of example in the drawings and willherein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, thatthere is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, a dental impression kit 10 is shown having dentalassemblies (discussed in more detail below) therein. The dentalimpression kit 10 may be ordered by a customer and shipped in acontainer or box 12, shown in FIG. 1, from a vendor. After administeringthe dental impression kit 10 at home, the customer may ship the dentalimpression kit 10 in the box 12 back to the vendor for analysis. The box12 is sized for standard shipping and is likewise sized for deliveryinto the customer's mailbox. Accordingly, additional fees for shipmentof the dental impression kit 10 in the box 12 may not be required.

Referring to FIG. 2, the box 12 includes an insert 14 therein that isconfigured to retain the dental assemblies. The insert 14 includes a toplayer 16 having a plurality of cutouts formed therein. A front cutout 18is sized and shaped to receive a user's finger to lift the top layer 16from the box 12. A pair of tray cutouts 20 are sized and shaped toretain dental trays (described below). The tray cutouts 20 include aflange 22 that is sized and shaped to retain a front flange of thedental tray. A pair of flanges 24 retain rear ends of the dental tray.Circular cutouts 26 are sized and shaped to retain containers of putty(described below).

A front flap 28 is joined to the top layer 16 along a fold line 30. Thefront flap 28 is configured to be folded such that an end 32 of thefront flap 28 engages a bottom of the box 12, when the insert 14 ispositioned within the box 12. The front flap 28 supports the top layer16 within the box 12. A center flap 34 extends from the top layer 16along a fold line 36. The center flap 34 is also connected to a secondor bottom layer 38 along a fold line 40. When the insert 14 ispositioned within the box 12, the center flap 34 supports the top layer16 within the box.

The bottom layer 38 is configured to be positioned below the top layer16, when the insert 14 is positioned within the box 12. The bottom layer38 also includes a plurality of cutouts formed therein. A pair of traycutouts 20 are sized and shaped to retain dental trays. The tray cutouts20 include a flange 22 that is sized and shaped to retain a front flangeof the dental tray. A pair of flanges 24 retain rear ends of the dentaltray. Circular cutouts 26 are sized and shaped to retain containers ofputty.

A front flap 42 extends from the bottom layer 38 along a fold line 44.The front flap 42 is configured to be folded such that an end 46 of thefront flap 42 engages a bottom of the box 12, when the insert 14 ispositioned within the box 12. A pair of side flaps 48 extends from thebottom layer 38 along fold lines 50. The side flaps 48 are configured tobe folded such that an end 52 of each side flap 48 engages a bottom ofthe box 12, when the insert 14 is positioned within the box 12.Accordingly, the front flap 42 and the side flaps 48 support the bottomlayer 38 within the box 12, when the insert 14 is positioned within thebox 12.

In some embodiments, the top layer 16 and the bottom layer 38 are notintegrally formed. In such an embodiment, the top layer 16 is configuredto be positioned on top of the bottom layer 38 such that the top layeris individually removable while the bottom layer 38 remains within thebox 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the box 12 is opened, an instruction manual 54is positioned at a top of the box contents. The instruction manual 54provides step-by-step instructions for administering the contents of thedental impression kit 10. A method for administering the dentalimpression kit 10 according to the instructions is described in moredetail with respect to FIG. 10. In some embodiments, the user may beprovided with an impression kit video. Similar to the instructions, thevideo may instruct the user on how to properly administer an impression.The instructor may be a dental professional, such as a dentist,orthodontist, dental hygienist, etc. The impression kit video may besent to the user (e.g., via email) on the date of ordering the dentalimpression kit 10, on the date of receipt, etc. Additionally, a link tothe impression kit video may be provided on the box 12 and the user maybe instructed to go to the link and watch the video. Such embodimentsmay increase the likelihood of acceptance of the impressions, as will bediscussed in greater detail below.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the instruction manual 54 is removed from thebox 12, the top layer 16 of the insert 14 is exposed. The top layer 16includes the contents of an initial dental assembly 56. Referring toFIG. 7, the initial dental assembly 56 includes two initial dental trays58, two containers of an initial base putty 60, and two containers of aninitial catalyst putty 62. The instruction manual 54 includes initialinstructions for administering the initial dental assembly 56.Generally, in use, a container of initial base putty 60 is mixed with acontainer of initial catalyst putty 62 to form a putty mixture. Theputty mixture is then positioned in one of the initial dental trays 58to form a dental impression of the upper teeth. The second container ofinitial base putty 60 is then mixed with the second container of initialcatalyst putty 62 to form another putty mixture that is positioned inthe second initial dental tray 58 to form a dental impression of thelower teeth. This process is explained in more detail below with respectto FIG. 10.

The contents of the box 12 may be stored prior to shipment of the user.For instance, the box 12 and all putty (e.g., the initial base andcatalyst putty 60, 62 described above, the redundant base and catalystputty 61, 63 described below, etc.) may be stored in a temperaturecontrolled environment (e.g., no greater than 77° f, for instance).Additionally the contents of the box 12 may be handled in a cleanenvironment (e.g., on stainless steel work surfaces which are cleaned ona daily basis, in a clean space free of debris, particulates andallergens, putty and other contents only handled with gloves on, etc.).In these embodiments, the contents of the box 12 may have an increasedquality. Additionally, each of the contents of the box 12 may includelot numbers for tracking the materials. Such lot numbers may be used forquality control purposes. Following the box 12 being assembled, the box12 may be shipped out with the contents.

In some embodiments, the box 12 may include a plurality of differentdental trays 58. For instance, the box 12 may include small, medium, andlarge sized dental trays 58. The user may place each of the differentsized dental trays 58 in their mouth to determine the proper size (e.g.,based on which size best fits the user's teeth). The user may thenadminister the impression using the proper size dental trays 58. In someembodiments, the box 12 may include upper dental arch specific and lowerdental arch specific dental trays 58 of different sizes. For instance,the upper dental arch specific dental trays 58 may be shaped tosubstantially match the shape of an upper dental arch of a person (e.g.,the user). Additionally, the lower dental arch specific dental trays 58may be shaped to substantially match the shape of a lower dental arch ofa person (e.g., the user). Using dental trays more particularly sizedand shaped for a user's own personal dental arch may increase thelikelihood of an acceptable dental impression.

In some embodiments, the box 12 may only include specific dental trays58. For instance, the box 12 may include only upper dental archimpression trays 58 or lower dental arch impression trays 58. The box 12may include upper dental arch impression trays 58 where the userpreviously submitted dental impressions and had upper dental impressionsrejected. The box 12 may include lower dental arch impression trays 58where the user previously submitted dental impressions and had lowerdental impressions rejected. In embodiments such as these, the user mayonly be required to obtain one of an upper or a lower impression, ratherthan both upper and lower impressions. Additionally, in embodiments suchas these, the user may be provided less base and catalyst putty thanstandard impression kits (e.g., such as only enough base and catalystputty for taking one upper or one lower impression, only enough base andcatalyst putty for taking two upper or two lower impressions, etc.).

In some embodiments, the user may order a retake kit including, forinstance, upper and/or lower impression kits. For instance, the user maycall the vendor to order these retake kits when their previousimpressions were rejected. Additionally or alternatively, the user mayprovide log-in information to a website or web page for ordering retakekits. When the user logs onto their account and the user's fileindicates that the user had a previously-rejected impression, thecorresponding retake kit may automatically be ordered. As one example,the user may have previously had upper impressions rejected, but lowerimpressions accepted, which is indicated in a file associated with theuser's account. The user may log into their account on a website or webpage. Upon logging into their account, the upper impression retake kitmay automatically be ordered, since the file associated with the user'saccount indicates that the upper impressions were previously rejected.In some embodiments, the user may log onto the website or web page toorder the retake kit following receipt of a kit rejection message. Thekit rejection message may be an email (or other message via acommunications medium) which indicates that one or more of theirimpressions were rejected. In some embodiments, the kit rejectionmessage may include a personalized message which indicates why theirprevious impression was rejected (e.g., didn't bite down properly, theimpression moved, etc.). The kit rejection message may includeinstructions on how to improve their subsequent impression(s) in theretake kit based on their previous rejection (e.g., bite down, keep theimpression tray still, etc.). Such embodiments may increase thelikelihood of impression acceptance and increase the likelihood of theuser returning the contents of the retake impression kit.

In some embodiments, the user may be notified that they are receiving aVIP retake impression kit via express mail, as opposed to standard mail.Additionally, in some embodiments, the VIP retake impression kit mayinclude one or more additional promotional items located therein (e.g.,lip balm, tote bag, etc.). In these embodiments, users may be morelikely to continue the process and order aligners despite having toretake an impression.

In some embodiments, the retake kit may be free. For instance, where theuser previously selected an option to automatically generate alignersupon their impressions being approved by the dental professional (e.g.,a fast track option), the retake kit may be free. Such embodiments mayfurther incentivize users to select the fast track option, which mayeliminate bottlenecks in the aligner production process. In someembodiments, the retake kit may include a fast track form for optinginto the fast track option. For instance, the fast track form may beincluded in a retake kit where the user has not previously opted intothe fast track option. However, where a user previously opted into afast track option, the fast track form may be foregone. In theseembodiments, users may be more likely to opt into the fast track option,thus eliminating further bottlenecks in the aligner production process.

In some embodiments, the dental impression kit 10 and/or the retake kitsmay include ambassador program information and/or referral information.Such information may include various incentives which are available tothe user if the user becomes a brand ambassador or makes any referrals.Such embodiments may highlight the benefits to the user, thus increasingthe likelihood of the user promoting the process.

Still referring to FIG. 7, the initial dental trays 58 include asubstantially arched mouth insert 64 that is sized and shaped to beinserted into the user's mouth. Particularly, the insert 64 is sized andshaped to be received into either an upper portion or a lower portion ofthe user's mouth. The insert 64 includes a cavity 66 defined by a bottomwall 68 and a pair of sidewalls 70 extending upward from the bottom wall68. The cavity 66 is sized to receive the putty mixture. When theinitial dental tray 58 is inserted into the user's mouth, the user bitesdown on the initial dental tray 58 so that the user's teeth are withinthe cavity 66 and bite into the putty mixture. A flange 72 extends froma front of the initial dental tray 58. The flange 72 is configured to begripped by the user to insert and remove the initial dental tray 58 fromthe user's mouth.

In some embodiments, the initial catalyst putty 62 is a polyvinylsiloxane that provides a predetermined period of time to set when mixedwith the initial base putty 60. The predetermined period of time isbased on a period of time necessary for a user to administer the dentalimpression kit 10 at home. That is, the predetermined period of time isselected to allow the user enough time to prepare the putty mixture anddental impression, while also preventing the putty mixture fromdeforming when the initial dental tray 58 having the putty mixturetherein is removed from the user's mouth. In some embodiments, theinitial base putty 60 and the initial catalyst putty 62 may be requiredto be at room temperature before mixing.

In some embodiments, the user may be provided a predetermined amount ofbase and catalyst putty. The user may be provided an amount of base andcatalyst putty that lessens the likelihood of the putty mixtureoverflowing the dental impression. Additionally, the user may beprovided an amount of base and catalyst putty that is sufficient forcapturing an acceptable dental impression by the user. For instance, theuser may be provided an amount of base and catalyst putty that, when theputty mixture is prepared and placed in the dental tray 58, enough puttymixture is in the dental tray 58 to sufficiently capture a dentalimpression. The predetermined amount of base and catalyst putty may beprovided in corresponding cups, as shown. In some embodiments, thepredetermined amounts of base and catalyst putty may be in the range of0.5 oz. to 1.5 oz. In some embodiments, the predetermined amounts ofbase and catalyst putty may be in the range of 0.88 oz. and 0.90 oz. Insome embodiments, the predetermined amount of base putty may beapproximately 0.9 oz., and the predetermined amount of catalyst puttymay be approximately 0.88 oz. (e.g., more base putty than catalystputty). In still other embodiments, the predetermined amount of baseputty may be approximately 0.88 oz., and the predetermined amount ofcatalyst putty may be approximately 0.90 oz. (e.g., more catalyst puttythan base putty). In still other embodiments, the predetermined amountof base putty may be substantially the same as the predetermined amountof catalyst putty. In each of these embodiments, the corresponding cupsmay be sealed. For example, the cups may be thermosealed with a plasticfilm, sealed with a foil and glue, sealed with a cap that is screwed orsnapped onto the cup, hermetically sealed, etc.

In some embodiments, the base and catalyst putty may be premixed andloaded in the dental trays provided in a corresponding dental assembly56, 74. For instance, the putty mixture may be stable (e.g., will notharden prior to administering the dental impressions). The stable puttymixture may be loaded in the dental trays such that the user does notneed to mix the base and catalyst putties. The dental trays with thestable putty mixture may be sealed (e.g., in a manner similar to themethods of sealing the cups described above). The user can then removethe seal and administer the dental trays. Such embodiments may ease theuser experience by removing the need for mixing the putties and placingthe mixed putties into the dental trays. Further, such embodiments mayincrease the likelihood of acceptance of the impressions as the dentaltrays and putty mixtures may be more consistent, resulting in moreconsistent and better quality impressions.

Referring back to FIG. 4, after the initial dental assembly 56 is usedto form an initial set of dental impressions of both the upper and lowerteeth, the user may grip the top layer 16 by the front cutout 18 andlift the top layer 16 from the box 12. Specifically, the top layer 16folds back along the fold line 36 to expose the bottom layer 38.

FIG. 5 shows, the top layer 16 folded back to expose the bottom layer38. Notably, the top layer 16 is still connected to the bottom layer 38by the center flap 34; however, the top layer 16 is folded back so thatthe bottom layer 38 may be accessed. The bottom layer 38 includes aredundant dental assembly 74. The redundant dental assembly 74 isidentical to the initial dental assembly 56, described with respect toFIG. 7, and includes two redundant dental trays 59 that are identical tothe initial dental trays 58 described with respect to FIG. 7, twocontainers of a redundant base putty 61 that are identical to thecontainers of initial base putty 60 described with respect to FIG. 7,and two containers of a redundant catalyst putty 63 that are identicalto the containers of initial catalyst putty described with respect toFIG. 7. The instruction manual 54 includes redundant instructions foradministering the redundant dental assembly 74. The redundant dentalassembly 74 is utilized to form a second set of dental impressions ofthe upper and lower teeth (as described below). Accordingly, theredundant dental assembly 74 provides redundancy in administering thedental impression kit 10. This redundancy enables the user to “practice”forming the dental impression with the initial dental assembly 56.Alternatively or in addition to, the redundancy provides for two sets ofdental impressions if one of the impressions is not properly achieved.

Referring to FIG. 6, a pair of gloves 76 and a dental appliance 78 areincluded at a bottom 80 of the box 12. Particularly, the pair of gloves76 and the dental appliance 78 are positioned below the insert 14. Whenopening the dental impression kit 10, the user may first remove theinstruction manual 54 and the insert 14 to gain access to the pair ofgloves 76 and the dental appliance 78. The insert 14 may then bepositioned back into the box so that the user may appropriately followthe instructions in the instruction manual 54, as described in moredetail below.

Referring to FIG. 8, the dental appliance 78 includes a handle 82 havinga pair of flanges 84 at each end. The flanges 84 are generally U-shapedand form a cavity 86. The instruction manual 54 includes applianceinstructions for utilizing the dental appliance 78. The cavity 86 isconfigured to receive the user's lips at the sides of the user's mouth.The dental appliance 78 is configured to separate the user's lips toopen the user's mouth. In this position, the user may photograph his/herteeth, as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, thedental appliance 78 may be positioned in a resealable (or otherwisereusable) bag. The dental appliance 78 may then be maintained by theuser for both initial and subsequent photos of his/her teeth. Thesubsequent photos may be substantially the same types of photos as theinitial photos, but are captured a duration (for instance, 90 days) intothe treatment process.

FIG. 9 shows the pair of gloves 76. In some embodiments, the gloves 76are formed from a non-latex, hypo-allergenic material. The gloves 76 mayalso be sized and stretchable for any user's hands. The gloves 76 areused to protect the user's hands from the initial base putty 60 and theinitial catalyst putty 62. The gloves 76 also prevent contamination ofthe initial base putty 60 and the initial catalyst putty 62.

Referring to FIG. 10, a method 100 for administering the dentalimpression kit 10 includes receiving from a vendor the dental impressionkit 10 in the box 12 in the mail. The box 12 is opened so that the usermay obtain the instruction manual 54 for the dental impression kit 10.After removing the instruction manual 54, the entire insert 14 may beremoved to expose the gloves 76 and the dental appliance 78. After thegloves 76 and dental appliance 78 are removed from the box 12, theinsert 14 is positioned back into the box 12 so that the instructionmanual 54 may be properly followed. The user is instructed to washhis/her hands and put the gloves 76 on before proceeding.

With the insert 14 positioned back into the box 12, the top layer 16 isexposed. The initial dental assembly 56 is then administered, at step102, by following the initial instruction of the instruction manual 54.At step 104, the initial base putty 60 is mixed with the initialcatalyst putty 62 to form an initial putty mixture. In some embodiments,the initial base putty 60 and the initial catalyst putty 62 may bereferred to in the instruction manual 54 by their colors (as opposed tobase and catalyst putty 60, 62). In these embodiments, the instructionmanual 54 may be easier to follow by the user. Accordingly, the initialinstruction of the instruction manual 54 may instruct the user to mixthe purple putty with the gray putty, for instance.

In some embodiments, the initial base putty 60 is mixed with the initialcatalyst putty 62 for approximately 20 seconds to form the initial puttymixture. In other embodiments, the initial base putty 60 is mixed withthe initial catalyst putty 62 for a time period to reach a propertemperature as required by the putty type and/or environmentalconditions. For example, the mixing time may vary based on geographicalregion or the time of year, e.g. summer or winter, humidity andtemperature dependent environment (e.g., both interior temperatureand/or exterior temperature). At step 106, the initial putty mixture isthen positioned within the cavity 66 of the initial dental tray 58. Insome embodiments, the user is instructed to position the initial puttymixture within the cavity 66 of the initial dental tray 58 within a timeframe of approximately less than or equal to one minute from the timethe initial base putty and 60 the initial catalyst putty 62 are opened.In other embodiments, the initial putty mixture is positioned within thecavity 66 of the initial dental tray 58 within a time period required bythe putty type and/or environmental conditions. For example, the timemay vary based on geographical region or the time of year, e.g. summeror winter. With the initial putty mixture positioned within the cavity66 of the initial dental tray 58, the user then inserts the initialdental tray 58 into his/her mouth and bites down so that the user'supper teeth are positioned within the initial putty mixture to form aninitial dental impression, at step 108. In some embodiments the initialdental tray 58 is retained within the user's mouth for a time period ofapproximately 2.5 to 3.5 minutes to create the initial dentalimpression. In other embodiments, the initial dental tray 58 is retainedwithin the user's mouth for a time period required by the putty typeand/or environmental conditions. For example, the time may vary based ongeographical region or the time of year, e.g. summer or winter. At step110, steps 104-108 are repeated using the second initial dental tray 58,the second container of initial base putty 60, and the second containerof initial catalyst putty 62 to form an initial dental impression of theuser's lower teeth. In some embodiments, the instructions may instructthe user to administer the impression of the user's lower teeth beforeadministering the impression of the user's upper teeth. In theseembodiments, likelihood of acceptance of the impressions for generationof aligners may be increased.

After the initial set of dental impressions has been made, the userfolds the top layer 16 back to expose the bottom layer 38 and theredundant dental assembly 74. The redundant dental assembly 74 is thenadministered, at step 112, by following the redundant instruction of theinstruction manual 54. At step 114, the redundant base putty 61 is mixedwith the redundant catalyst putty 63 to form a redundant putty mixture.In some embodiments, the redundant base putty 61 and the redundantcatalyst putty 63 may be referred to in the instruction manual 54 bytheir colors (as opposed to base and catalyst putty 61, 63). In theseembodiments, the instruction manual 54 may be easier to follow by theuser. Accordingly, the initial instruction of the instruction manual 54may instruct the user to mix the purple putty with the gray putty, forinstance.

In some embodiments, the redundant base putty 61 is mixed with theredundant catalyst putty 63 for approximately 20 seconds to form theredundant putty mixture. In other embodiments, the redundant base putty61 is mixed with the redundant catalyst putty 63 for a time period toreach a proper temperature as required by the putty type and/orenvironmental conditions. For example, the time may vary based ongeographical region or the time of year, e.g. summer or winter, humidityand temperature dependent environment (e.g., both interior temperatureand/or exterior temperature). The redundant putty mixture is thenpositioned within the cavity 66 of the redundant dental tray 59, at step116. In some embodiments, the user is instructed to position theredundant putty mixture within the cavity 66 of the redundant dentaltray 59 within a time frame of approximately less than or equal to oneminute from the time the redundant base putty 61 the redundant catalystputty 63 are opened. In other embodiments, the redundant putty mixtureis positioned within the cavity 66 of the redundant dental tray 59within a time period required by the putty type and/or environmentalconditions. For example, the time may vary based on geographical regionor the time of year, e.g. summer or winter. With the redundant puttymixture positioned within the cavity 66 of the redundant dental tray 59,the user then inserts the redundant dental tray 59 into his/her mouthand bites down so that the user's upper teeth are positioned within theredundant putty mixture to form a redundant dental impression, at step118. In some embodiments the redundant dental tray 59 is retained withinthe user's mouth for a time period of approximately 2.5 to 3.5 minutesto create the redundant dental impression. In other embodiments, theredundant dental tray 59 is retained within the user's mouth for a timeperiod required by the putty type and/or environmental conditions. Forexample, the time may vary based on geographical region or the time ofyear, e.g. summer or winter. At step 120, steps 114-118 are repeatedusing the second redundant dental tray 59, the second container ofredundant base putty 61, and the second container of redundant catalystputty 63 to form a redundant dental impression of the user's lowerteeth.

After administering the initial dental assembly 56 and the redundantdental assembly 74, the user has created two sets of dental impressionsof both his/her upper teeth and his/her lower teeth. The insert 14 maybe removed from the box 12 and discarded. The dental appliance 78 isthen inserted into the user's mouth to separate the user's lips andexpose the user's teeth, at step 122. With the dental appliance 78 inhis/her mouth, the user takes a series of photos of his/her teeth inaccordance with an appliance instruction in the instruction manual 54,at step 124. These photos may then be uploaded to the vendor's websitevia a web portal or the like, at step 126. In some embodiments, the usermay receive analysis and evaluation results from a dental professional.The dental professional may access the photos via a corresponding webportal in real-time or near real-time to analyze and evaluate theresults. The dental professional may evaluate the user's photos todetermine whether the user's smile is suitable for treatment, whetherthe user's photos sufficiently capture the user's smile in the desiredperspectives, etc. The dental professional may indicate that the userneeds to retake one or more photos. The dental professional may send amessage (e.g., a text message, an e-mail, etc.) to the user instructingthe user on how to recapture a photo. Following the user uploading thephotos, and optionally receiving analysis and evaluation results, theuser may then position both sets of dental impressions, i.e. the upperand lower initial dental impressions from the initial dental assembly 56and the upper and lower redundant dental impressions from the redundantdental assembly 74 into the empty box 12. It should be noted that thedental impressions are not removed from the dental trays 58, 59. Thatis, the dental trays 58, 59 with the dental impressions therein arepositioned in the box 12. The box is then sealed with a sticker includedwithin the dental impression kit 10. At step 128, the box 12 with thedental impressions sealed therein is mailed back to the vendor using areturn mailing label that is included in (or affixed to) the dentalimpression kit 10.

While described as taking photos of the user's teeth followingadministering the dental assemblies 56 and 74, in some embodiments, theuser may take additional photos of the user's teeth and/or of the dentalimpressions to the vendor's website via a web portal. For instance, theuser may take photos of the dental impressions (e.g., of the upperand/or the lower impressions). The user may take these photos betweenthe user administering the initial dental assembly 58 and administeringthe redundant dental assembly 74. These photos may be detailed photosshowing the dental impressions in various views. Similar to the analysisand evaluation described above, a dental professional may access thephotos via a corresponding web portal. The dental professional maydirect the user to modify one or more aspects of administering dentalimpressions from the redundant dental assembly 74 based on results fromthe initial dental impressions as represented in the photos. Forinstance, the dental professional may direct the user to bite down onthe dental trays, ensure that the dental trays are properly aligned bothwith the user's teeth and with the user's dental arch, etc. Accordingly,such embodiments may increase the likelihood of acceptance of theredundant dental impressions administered by the user based onevaluation of the initial dental impressions from the initial dentalassembly 56.

Referring to FIG. 11, a dental impression kit 300 is shown having dentalassemblies (discussed in more detail below) therein. The dentalimpression kit 300 may be ordered by a customer and shipped in acontainer or box 302, shown in FIG. 11, from a vendor. Afteradministering the dental impression kit 300 at home, the customer mayship the dental impression kit 300 in the box 302 back to the vendor foranalysis. The box 302 is sized for standard shipping and is likewisesized for delivery into the customer's mailbox. Accordingly, additionalfees for shipment of the dental impression kit 300 in the box 302 maynot be required.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the box 302 is opened, an instruction manual304 is positioned at a top of the box contents. The instruction manual304 provides step-by-step instructions for administering the contents ofthe dental impression kit 300. Referring to FIG. 13, when theinstruction manual 304 is removed from the box 302, an insert 306 isexposed that includes the contents of an upper initial dental assembly308. The initial upper dental assembly 308 includes an initial upperdental tray 310, a container of an initial upper base putty 312, and acontainer of an initial upper catalyst putty 314. The instruction manual304 includes initial instructions for administering the initial upperdental assembly 308. Generally, in use, the initial upper base putty 312is mixed with the initial upper catalyst putty 314 to form a puttymixture. The putty mixture is then positioned in the initial upperdental tray 310 to form a dental impression of the upper teeth.

Referring to FIG. 14, when the insert 306 is removed, another insert 316is exposed that includes the contents of an initial lower dentalassembly 318. The initial lower dental assembly 318 includes an initiallower dental tray 320, a container of an initial lower base putty 322,and a container of an initial lower catalyst putty 324. The instructionmanual 304 includes initial instructions for administering the initiallower dental assembly 318. Generally, in use, the initial lower baseputty 322 is mixed with the initial lower catalyst putty 324 to form aputty mixture. The putty mixture is then positioned in the initial lowerdental tray 320 to form a dental impression of the lower teeth.

Referring to FIG. 15, when the insert 316 is removed from the box 302,an insert 326 is exposed that includes the contents of a redundant upperdental assembly 328. The redundant upper dental assembly 328 includes aredundant upper dental tray 330, a container of a redundant upper baseputty 332, and a container of a redundant upper catalyst putty 334. Theinstruction manual 304 includes redundant instructions for administeringthe redundant upper dental assembly 328. Generally, in use, theredundant upper base putty 332 is mixed with the redundant uppercatalyst putty 334 to form a putty mixture. The putty mixture is thenpositioned in the redundant upper dental tray 330 to form a dentalimpression of the upper teeth.

Referring to FIG. 16, when the insert 326 is removed, another insert 336is exposed that includes the contents of a redundant lower dentalassembly 338. The redundant lower dental assembly 338 includes aredundant lower dental tray 340, a container of a redundant lower baseputty 342, and a container of a redundant lower catalyst putty 344. Theinstruction manual 304 includes redundant instructions for administeringthe redundant lower dental assembly 338. Generally, in use, theredundant lower base putty 342 is mixed with the redundant lowercatalyst putty 344 to form a putty mixture. The putty mixture is thenpositioned in the redundant lower dental tray 340 to form a dentalimpression of the lower teeth.

Referring to FIG. 17, another insert 350 includes a pair of gloves 76and a dental appliance 78. The insert 350 is positioned below the insert336. When opening the dental impression kit 10, the user may firstremove the instruction manual 54 and the inserts 306, 316, 326, and 336to gain access to the pair of gloves 76 and the dental appliance 78. Theinserts 306, 316, 326, and 336 may then be positioned back into the boxso that the user may appropriately follow the instructions in theinstruction manual 54, as described in more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 18, an alignment kit 400 is mailed to the user afterthe user specific aligners have been created by the vendor. Thealignment kit 400 includes a container 402 having a top insert 404. Thetop insert 404 includes an instruction manual 406 that providesinstructions for administering the alignment kit 400. The top insert 404also includes a case 408 for retaining aligners (described below), acase of tooth whitening 410 to be used with the aligners, and lip balm412. A tool kit 414 is also provided in the top insert 404.

Referring to FIG. 19, the tool kit 414 includes an extractor 416 forremoving aligners from the user's mouth. The extractor 416 includes afirst hook 418 for pulling upper aligners off of the user's upper teeth.A second hook 420 pushes lower aligners off the user's lower teeth. Thetool kit 414 also includes a file 422 for smoothing out edges of thealigners for the user's comfort. At least one rubber pellet 424 is alsoprovided for aiding the insertion of the aligners. When the userpositions the aligner's in his/her mouth, the user may chew on therubber pellets 424 to push the aligners into position on the user'supper and lower teeth.

Referring to FIG. 20, when the top insert 404 is removed from thecontainer 402, at least two lower inserts 426 are exposed. The lowerinserts 426 include the aligners 428 that will be inserted in the user'smouth. Referring to FIG. 21, the additional lower inserts 426 may bepositioned below the first layer of lower inserts 426.

Referring now to FIG. 22, in an illustrative embodiment, a system 1100for remote orthodontic assessment and treatment includes an applicationserver 1102 in communication over a network 1112 with multiple othercomputing devices, such as one or more staff devices 1104, user devices1106, provider devices 1108, and/or dental labs 1110. In use, asdescribed further below, the application server 1102 allows a user(using a user device 1106) to order a dental impression kit 10, asdescribed above, and then upload images of the user's mouth and teeth tothe application server 1102. The application server 1102 allows a staffprofessional/hygienist to review and approve the images using the staffdevice 1104, and then allows a provider (e.g., an orthodontist) toperform a photo assessment using the provider device 1108. After thephoto assessment is approved, the application server 1102 receives a 3Dtreatment plan from the dental lab 1110, and the application server 1102allows the provider to approve the treatment plan using the providerdevice 1108. After approval, the application server 1102 allows the userto view the 3D treatment plan using the user device 1106. Theapplication server 1102 optimizes the 3D treatment plan for viewing onthe user device 1106. Thus, the system 1100 may allow for remoteorthodontic treatment and assessment, without requiring the user tovisit the provider's physical offices. Accordingly, the system 1100 mayimprove the cost and/or availability of orthodontic services.Additionally, by optimizing the 3D treatment plan, the system 1100provides an improved user experience for viewing treatment plans withoutthe aid of an orthodontist.

The application server 1102 may be embodied as any type of computationor computer device capable of performing the functions described herein,including, without limitation, a computer, a server, a workstation, adesktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tabletcomputer, a mobile computing device, a wearable computing device, anetwork appliance, a web appliance, a distributed computing system, aprocessor-based system, and/or a consumer electronic device. As such,the application server 1102 may be embodied as a single server computingdevice or a collection of servers and associated devices. For example,in some embodiments, the application server 1102 may be embodied as a“virtual server” formed from multiple computing devices distributedacross the network 1112 and operating in a public or private cloud.Accordingly, although the application server 1102 is illustrated in FIG.1 and described below as embodied as a single server computing device,it should be appreciated that the application server 1102 may beembodied as multiple devices cooperating together to facilitate thefunctionality described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the applicationserver 1102 illustratively include a processor 1120, an input/outputsubsystem 1122, a memory 1124, a data storage device 1126, and acommunication subsystem 1128, and/or other components and devicescommonly found in a server computer or similar computing device. Ofcourse, the application server 1102 may include other or additionalcomponents, such as those commonly found in a server computer (e.g.,various input/output devices), in other embodiments. Additionally, insome embodiments, one or more of the illustrative components may beincorporated in, or otherwise form a portion of, another component. Forexample, the memory 1124, or portions thereof, may be incorporated inthe processor 1120 in some embodiments.

The processor 1120 may be embodied as any type of processor capable ofperforming the functions described herein. The processor 1120 may beembodied as a single or multi-core processor(s), digital signalprocessor, microcontroller, or other processor or processing/controllingcircuit. Similarly, the memory 1124 may be embodied as any type ofvolatile or non-volatile memory or data storage capable of performingthe functions described herein. In operation, the memory 1124 may storevarious data and software used during operation of the applicationserver 1102, such as operating systems, applications, programs,libraries, and drivers. The memory 1124 is communicatively coupled tothe processor 1120 via the I/O subsystem 1122, which may be embodied ascircuitry and/or components to facilitate input/output operations withthe processor 1120, the memory 1124, and other components of theapplication server 1102. For example, the I/O subsystem 1122 may beembodied as, or otherwise include, memory controller hubs, input/outputcontrol hubs, platform controller hubs, integrated control circuitry,firmware devices, communication links (i.e., point-to-point links, buslinks, wires, cables, light guides, printed circuit board traces, etc.)and/or other components and subsystems to facilitate the input/outputoperations. In some embodiments, the I/O subsystem 1122 may form aportion of a system-on-a-chip (SoC) and be incorporated, along with theprocessor 1120, the memory 1124, and other components of the applicationserver 1102, on a single integrated circuit chip.

The data storage device 1126 may be embodied as any type of device ordevices configured for short-term or long-term storage of data such as,for example, memory devices and circuits, memory cards, hard diskdrives, solid-state drives, or other data storage devices. Thecommunication subsystem 1128 of the application server 1102 may beembodied as any communication circuit, device, or collection thereof,capable of enabling communications between the application server 1102and other remote devices over a network. The communication subsystem1128 may be configured to use any one or more communication technology(e.g., wired or wireless communications) and associated protocols (e.g.,Ethernet, InfiniBand®, Bluetooth®, WiMAX, etc.) to effect suchcommunication.

As shown, the application server 1102 may also include one or moreperipheral devices 1130. The peripheral devices 1130 may include anynumber of additional input/output devices, interface devices, and/orother peripheral devices. For example, in some embodiments, theperipheral devices 1130 may include a display, touch screen, graphicscircuitry, keyboard, mouse, speaker system, microphone, networkinterface, and/or other input/output devices, interface devices, and/orperipheral devices.

As described further below, the staff device 1104 is configured toupload, review, and otherwise manage data stored by the applicationserver 1102. The staff device 1104 may be embodied as any type of devicecapable of performing the functions described herein, such as, withoutlimitation, a smartphone, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, anotebook computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a consumerelectronic device, a wearable computing device, a smart appliance,and/or any other computing device capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein. Accordingly, the staff device 1104 may include aprocessor, an I/O subsystem, a memory, a data storage device,communication circuitry, and/or other components and devices commonlyfound in a notebook computer or similar computing device. The individualcomponents of the staff device 1104 may be similar to the correspondingcomponents of the application server 1102, the description of which isapplicable to the corresponding components of the staff device 1104 andis not repeated herein so as not to obscure the present disclosure.

As described further below, the user device 1106 is configured to allowa user to send and receive images, questionnaire responses, and otherdata with the application server 1102. The user device 1106 may beembodied as any type of device capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein, such as, without limitation, a smartphone, a cellularphone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a consumer electronic device, a wearable computingdevice, a smart appliance, and/or any other computing device capable ofperforming the functions described herein. Accordingly, the user device1106 may include a processor, an I/O subsystem, a memory, a data storagedevice, communication circuitry, and/or other components and devicescommonly found in a smartphone or similar computing device. Theindividual components of the user device 1106 may be similar to thecorresponding components of the application server 1102, the descriptionof which is applicable to the corresponding components of the userdevice 1106 and is not repeated herein so as not to obscure the presentdisclosure.

As described further below, the provider device 1108 is configured toallow a provider to review image assessments and treatment plans and tootherwise access the application server 1102. The provider device 1108may be embodied as any type of device capable of performing thefunctions described herein, such as, without limitation, a smartphone, acellular phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a laptopcomputer, a desktop computer, a consumer electronic device, a wearablecomputing device, a smart appliance, and/or any other computing devicecapable of performing the functions described herein. Accordingly, theprovider device 1108 may include a processor, an I/O subsystem, amemory, a data storage device, communication circuitry, and/or othercomponents and devices commonly found in a notebook computer or similarcomputing device. The individual components of the provider device 1108may be similar to the corresponding components of the application server1102, the description of which is applicable to the correspondingcomponents of the provider device 1108 and is not repeated herein so asnot to obscure the present disclosure.

The dental lab 1110 may be embodied as any dental analysis and/ormanufacturing facility that is capable of generating orthodontictreatment plans or otherwise performing the functions described herein.In particular, the dental lab 1110 may include or otherwise have accessto one or more computing devices capable of executing software togenerate orthodontic treatment plans.

As discussed in more detail below, the application server 1102, thestaff device 1104, the user device 1106, and the provider device 1108may be configured to transmit and receive data with each other and/orother devices of the system 1100 over the network 1112. The network 1112may be embodied as any number of various wired and/or wireless networks.For example, the network 1112 may be embodied as, or otherwise include,a wired or wireless local area network (LAN), and/or a wired or wirelesswide area network (WAN). As such, the network 1112 may include anynumber of additional devices, such as additional computers, routers, andswitches, to facilitate communications among the devices of the system1100. In the illustrative embodiment, the network 1112 is embodied as alocal Ethernet network.

Referring now to FIG. 23, in an illustrative embodiment, the applicationserver 1102 establishes an environment 1200 during operation. Theillustrative environment 1200 includes a staff portal 1202, a providerportal 1204, a user portal 1206, an optimizer 1208, and a datarepository 1210. The various components of the environment 1200 may beembodied as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Assuch, in some embodiments, one or more of the components of theenvironment 1200 may be embodied as circuitry or collection ofelectrical devices (e.g., staff portal circuitry 1202, provider portalcircuitry 1204, user portal circuitry 1206, optimizer circuitry 1208,and/or data repository circuitry 1210). It should be appreciated that,in such embodiments, one or more of the staff portal circuitry 1202, theprovider portal circuitry 1204, the user portal circuitry 1206, theoptimizer circuitry 1208, and/or the data repository circuitry 1210 mayform a portion of one or more of the processor 1120, the I/O subsystem1122, and/or other components of the application server 1102.Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more of the illustrativecomponents may form a portion of another component and/or one or more ofthe illustrative components may be independent of one another.

The data repository 1210 is configured to manage and store case datarelated to each user. The data repository 1210 may be configured toreceive multiple images that represent the teeth of a user. The datarepository 1210 may be further configured to receive a treatment planfor the user. The treatment plan may include a sequence ofthree-dimensional models indicative of the teeth of the user. Thus, thedata repository 1210 may store, among other data, image data 1212 and/ortreatment plan data 1214.

The staff portal 1202 is configured to manage data access and othercommunications with the staff devices 1104. In particular, the staffportal 1202 may be configured to provide the images that represent theteeth of the user to a staff device 1104. The staff portal 1202 isfurther configured to receive an approval from the staff device 1104indicating that a person (e.g., a staff professional person and/orhygienist) has approved the images for assessment by a provider (e.g.,an orthodontist).

The provider portal 1204 is configured to manage data access and othercommunications with the provider devices 1108. In particular, theprovider portal 1204 may be configured to provide the images to aprovider device 1108 in response receiving the approval from the staffdevice 1104. The provider portal 1204 may be further configured toreceive an approval from the provider device 1108 indicating that theprovider successfully performed an assessment of the fitness of the userfor treatment. A treatment plan may be received in response to thatapproval, and the provider portal 1204 may be further configured toprovide the treatment plan to the provider device 1108 and to receive anapproval from the provider device 1108 indicating that the providerapproved the treatment plan.

In some embodiments, the user may be provided history and consent forms.The history and consent forms may be forms which a user provides variousinformation for use in generation of the user's aligners and/or fordetermination in the fitness for treatment. For instance, the user maybe provided with a series of questions that illicit information relatedto various health and dental information, such as previous dentaltreatments, health conditions, etc. Additionally, the user may beprovided a consent form where the user consents to treatment. In someembodiments, the history and consent forms may be provided to the userupon ordering the impression kit 10. The history and consent forms maybe provided electronically. In some embodiments, the history and consentforms may be provided a duration after the user orders the kit 10. Forinstance, the history and consent forms may be provided a day after theuser orders the kit 10. In these embodiments, the user may be lessintimidated by the history and consent forms by providing them at alater date rather than the date of the order.

The user portal 1206 is configured to manage data access and othercommunications with the user devices 1106. In particular, the userportal 1206 may be configured to receive the images indicative of theteeth of the user from a user device 1106. For instance, the user may berequired to provide images when the user orders a dental impression kit10 (as opposed to an oral scan center). For instance the user may berequired to provide a number of images (e.g., three images, five images,seven images, etc.). In some embodiments, the images may include anupper, open view image, a lower, open view image, and a straight-on,closed view image. The user portal 1206 may be further configured toreceive a dental history questionnaire response from the user device1106. The dental history questionnaire response may be included with theimages to the staff device 1104 and/or to the provider device 1108. Theuser portal 1206 is further configured to provide a visualization of thetreatment plan to the user device 1106 in response to receiving approvalof the treatment plan from the provider device 1108.

The optimizer 1208 is configured to optimize the sequence ofthree-dimensional models to generate an optimized sequence ofthree-dimensional models. The visualization of the treatment plan mayuse the optimized sequence of three-dimensional models. The optimizer1208 may increase the speed, rendering, and/or quality of thevisualization of the treatment plan.

Referring now to FIGS. 23A and 23B, in use, the application server 1102may execute a method 1300 for remote orthodontic treatment andassessment. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, theoperations of the method 1300 may be performed by one or more componentsof the environment 1200 of the application server 1102 as shown in FIG.23. The method 1300 begins in block 1302, in which the applicationserver 1102 receives a smile assessment response from a user device1106. The smile assessment response may be embodied as a web form,electronic message, or other data submitted by the user device 1106 thatis indicative of whether the user is a potential candidate fororthodontic treatment. For example, the smile assessment response mayinclude answers to questions indicating the current condition of theuser's mouth and the user's chief complaint (i.e., the user's biggestconcern with his or her smile). The smile assessment response may besubmitted in response to a web form or other web page that includesappropriate questions and instructions. One potential embodiment of asmile assessment web page is described below in connection with FIG. 26.After receiving the smile assessment response, in block 1304 theapplication server 1102 determines whether the user is a potentialcandidate for orthodontic treatment based on the smile assessmentresponse. If the application server 1102 determines that the user is nota good candidate, the method 1300 loops back to block 1302, in which theapplication server 1102 may receive additional smile assessmentresponses from the same user device 1106 and/or other user devices 1106.If the application server 1102 determines that the user is a goodcandidate, the method 1300 advances to block 1306.

In block 1306, the application server 1102 determines an appropriateintake technique for the user. In the illustrative embodiment, potentialintake techniques include performing a three-dimensional (3D) scan ofthe user's teeth and mouth at an oral scan center, or delivering adental impression kit 10, as described above. The application server1102 may allow the user to select an intake technique using the userdevice 1106, for example by selecting an option from a web page. In someembodiments, the application server 1102 may determine whether the useris located near an oral scan center and, if near a scan center, presentthe user with the scan option. If the application server 1102 determinesto use the dental impression kit 10, the method 1300 branches to block1312, described below. If the application server 1102 determines to usethe 3D scan, the method 1300 branches to block 1308.

In block 1308, the application server 1102 allows the user to schedulean appointment at a 3D oral scan center. The application server 1102 mayuse any technique to schedule the appointment. For example, theapplication server 1102 may provide a web application or other interfaceto the user device 1106 to allow the user to select a date and time forthe appointment. In some embodiments, the user may select a date andtime for the appointment when the user had impressions rejected (or theuser did not return their dental impressions). The application server1102 may store the appointment information and provide reminders to theuser as appropriate. At the appointment, a professional uses a 3Dscanner to capture a 3D optical scan of the user's mouth. Theprofessional may be a hygienist or other trained professional, but istypically not an orthodontist. After the 3D scan appointment, in block1310 the application server 1102 receives 3D optical scan data for theuser's mouth. The 3D optical scan data may be embodied as any data fileor collection of data files that include images of the patient's mouthas well as corresponding depth or other spatial information. Afterreceiving the 3D optical scan data, the method 1300 advances to block1322, described below.

Referring back to block 1306, if the application server 1102 determinesto use the dental impression kit 10, the method 1300 branches to block1312, in which the application server 1102 schedules delivery of adental impression kit 10 to the user. In some embodiments, the user mayorder or otherwise receive the kit if the user does not show up to (orcancels) their appointment at the 3D oral scan center (e.g., referred toabove at block 1308). After the user has received the dental impressionkit 10, in block 1314 the application server 1102 receives images of theuser's mouth and teeth. The user device 1106 may upload the images tothe application server 1102, for example, through a web interface. Insome embodiments, the application server 1102 may establish an accountfor the user. The application server 1102 may present the user with anaccount status user interface that provides access to an interface foruploading images. Images may be updated at any time after the account iscreated, for example after purchasing the dental impression kit 10,during use of the dental impression kit 10, and/or after creating a scanappointment. One potential embodiment of an account status userinterface is described below in connection with FIG. 27. As part of theimage upload web interface, the application server 1102 may provideinstructions to the user on which views to capture and upload, and insome embodiments may provide tips to improve image quality. For example,the instructions may recommend that the user has another person assistin taking the images and/or may recommend using a flash or a brightlight source such as a bathroom light or a window on a sunny day. Asdescribed above, the dental impression kit 10 may also include aninstruction manual 54 that includes similar instructions and/or tips. Inblock 1316, the application server 1102 receives images for three viewsof the user's mouth: a view of the upper teeth with the mouth open, aview of the lower teeth with the mouth open, and a view of the teethfrom straight on with the mouth closed. One potential embodiment of aweb interface to provide instructions to the user and to upload imagesis described further below in connection with FIGS. 27A-27C. In someembodiments, in block 1318 the user may use the dental appliance 78 toseparate the user's lips and open the user's mouth while taking theimages, as described above. In some embodiments, in block 1320 theapplication server 1102 may receive additional images of the user'smouth and teeth, such as an upper, closed view; a left side, closedview; a right side, closed view; and/or a straight-on, full-smile view.As described further below, the additional images may be requested by astaff professional, a hygienist, and/or a provider while performing animage assessment. For example, the additional images may be requestedfor complicated cases. After receiving the images, the method 1300advances to block 1322.

In block 1322, the application server 1102 receives a dental historyquestionnaire response from the user device 1106. The dental historyquestionnaire response may be embodied as any web form, electronicmessage, or other data submitted by the user device 1106. The dentalhistory questionnaire response may include information related to theuser's dental history that may be used by a staff professional,hygienist, and/or provider to determine the user's fitness fortreatment. One potential embodiment of a dental history questionnaire isdescribed below in connection with FIGS. 28A-28E.

In block 1324, the application server 1102 provides images of the user'smouth and teeth as well as the dental history questionnaire response toa staff professional and/or hygienist for review and approval. Forexample, the application server 1102 may establish a staff portal website that is accessible by the staff device 1104. Because the images ofthe user's mouth and teeth and the dental history questionnaire responsemay include personal health information, the application server 1102 mayrestrict access to the staff portal or other user interfaces toauthorized users (e.g., authorized staff professionals and/orhygienists). The staff professional/hygienist may review the images andquestionnaire data to determine whether the images are sufficient toallow the provider to determine the user's fitness for treatment. Forexample, the staff professional/hygienist may determine whether each ofthe images are of the correct view and/or are of sufficient quality. Thestaff professional/hygienist may indicate whether each image is approvedand may also request that the user provide additional views or otherimages. One potential embodiment of a web interface provided by theapplication server 1102 to perform the image review is described belowin connection with FIGS. 29A and 29B. In block 1326, the applicationserver 1102 determines whether the staff professional/hygienist approvedthe images. If not, the method 1300 may loop back to block 1314, inwhich the application server 1102 receives additional images from theuser device 1106. If the staff professional/hygienist approved theimages, the method 1300 advances to block 1328.

In block 1328, the application server 1102 provides images of the user'smouth and teeth as well as the dental history questionnaire response toa provider for assessment and approval. For example, the applicationserver 1102 may establish a provider portal web site that is accessibleby the provider device 1108. Because the images of the user's mouth andteeth and the dental history questionnaire response may include personalhealth information, the application server 1102 may restrict access tothe provider portal or other user interfaces to authorized users (e.g.,authorized providers). The provider may review the images andquestionnaire data to determine the user's fitness for treatment. Forexample, the provider may determine whether the user's mouth and/ordesired treatment outcome are fit for treatment with invisible plasticaligners. Continuing that example, the user may not be fit fortreatment, for example, if the user's mouth and/or desired treatmentoutcome requires pulling teeth, interproximal reduction, or performingother procedures that cannot be achieved with aligners. To perform theassessment, the provider may access a provider portal with a webinterface similar to the web interface shown in FIGS. 29A and 29B.Features of the provider portal are also described below in connectionwith FIGS. 30A-30E. In block 1330, the application server 1102determines whether the provider approved the images. If not, the method1300 may loop back to block 1314, in which the application server 1102receives additional images from the user device 1106. If the providerapproved the images, the method 1300 advances to block 1332, shown inFIG. 24B.

Referring now to FIG. 24B, in block 1332 the application server 1102provides 3D image data for the user's mouth to the dental lab 1110. Theapplication server 1102 may use any technique to provide the data, forexample by transferring data over the network 1112 to a server or othercomputing device of the dental lab 1110. The 3D image data may begenerated using any appropriate technique. In some embodiments, in block1334 the application server 1102 provides data generated during a 3Doptical scan, which was received by the application server 1102 asdescribed above in connection with block 1310. In some embodiments, inblock 1336 the application server 1102 provides data generated based onimpressions created using the dental impression kit 10, which wasscheduled for delivery as described above in connection with block 1312.In some embodiments, the dental impressions themselves may be providedto the dental lab 1110, and the dental lab 1110 may generate the 3Dimage data based on the impressions (and/or on the images provided bythe user). After receiving the 3D image data, the dental lab 1110 mayuse typical dental software to generate a treatment plan.

After the dental lab 1110 creates the treatment plan, in block 1338 theapplication server 1102 receives the treatment plan generated by thedental lab 1110. The treatment plan may be embodied as any dataindicative of a series of steps used to correct or otherwise modify thepositions of the user's teeth. In particular, the treatment plan mayrepresent the user's teeth and how they move through the duration of thetreatment plan. The treatment plan may be directed to the user's upperteeth, lower teeth, or both upper and lower teeth. In block 1340, theapplication server 1102 receives a 3D model of the user's mouth andteeth for each step of the treatment plan. Thus, the treatment plan mayindicate the position of the user's teeth as they are modified over thecourse of treatment. The 3D models of the treatment plan may be embodiedas STL files, OBJ files, or any other data file that is indicative of athree-dimensional object and/or scene.

In block 1342, the application server 1102 optimizes the treatment plan3D models to render on the user device 1106. The application server 1102may perform optimization to reduce the size of corresponding data filesor to otherwise improve rendering performance on the user device 1106.One potential embodiment of a method for optimizing the treatment plan3D models is described below in connection with FIG. 25.

After optimizing the treatment plan 3D models, in block 1344 theapplication server 1102 provides the treatment plan to the provider forapproval. For example, the application server 1102 may establish aprovider portal web site that is accessible by the provider device 1108.Because the treatment plan may include personal health information, theapplication server 1102 may restrict access to the provider portal orother user interfaces to authorized users (e.g., authorized providers).Using the provider portal, the provider may review 3D images of thesteps of the treatment plan, and may approve the plan, reject the plan,request modifications to the plan, or otherwise review the treatmentplan. One potential embodiment of a user interface for the providerportal is described below in connection with FIGS. 30A-30E. In block1346, the application server 1102 determines whether the provider hasapproved the treatment plan. If not, the method 1300 loops back to block1332, in which the dental lab 1110 may modify the treatment plan orotherwise generate a new treatment plan. If the treatment plan isapproved, the method 1300 advances to block 1348.

In block 1348, the application server 1102 provides a visualization ofthe treatment plan to the user. For example, the application server 1102may establish a user portal web site that is accessible by the userdevice 1106. Because the treatment plan may include personal healthinformation, the application server 1102 may restrict access to the userportal or other user interfaces to the authorized user. Thevisualization may allow the user to view the 3D models of the user'smouth and teeth for each step of the treatment process from multipleangles. As described above in connection with block 1342, the 3D modelsof the treatment plan are optimized for rendering by the user device1106, which provides the user with a responsive user interface. Asdescribed above, the application server 1102 may establish an accountfor the user, and an account status user interface may provide access tothe treatment plan visualization user interface. One potentialembodiment of an account status user interface is described below inconnection with FIG. 32. One potential embodiment of a treatment planvisualization user interface is described below in connection with FIG.33.

In block 1350, the application server 1102 determines whether the userhas purchased the approved treatment plan. The user may purchase thetreatment plan, for example, through an account user interface providedby the application server 1102 to the user device 1106. If the user hasnot purchased the approved treatment plan, the method 1300 loops back toblock 1348, in which the application server 1102 may continue to providethe visualization of the treatment plan to the user. If the treatmentplan is purchased, the method 1300 advances to block 1352.

In block 1352, one or more aligners are manufactured for the treatmentplan and distributed to the user. Any appropriate technique may be usedto manufacture and distribute the aligners. For example, the alignersmay be manufactured by 3D printing physical models of the user's teethand then molding plastic aligners using the physical models of theuser's teeth. Multiple aligners may be distributed to the user eachmonth. For example, the user may be sent three aligners each month, withthe first aligner to be worn for one week, the second aligner to be wornfor one week, and the third aligner to be worn for two weeks. During themanufacturing and distribution process, the application server 1102 maycoordinate access to order information, the treatment, plan, and otherdata associated with the user. In block 1354, it is determined whetherthe treatment plan is complete. For example, a treatment plan may have aduration of five months. If the plan is not complete, the method 1300loops back to block 1352 to continue manufacturing and distributingaligners. If the plan is complete, the method 1300 may advance to block1356, in which one or more retainers may be manufactured and distributedto the user. In some embodiments, the application server 1102 mayperform a check-in process after a predetermined amount of time haselapsed during treatment, for example a 90-day check in process. As partof the check-in process, the patient may answer a questionnaire andsubmit photos that are reviewed by a dental professional. Thus, theapplication server 1102 may monitor the progress of the patient duringtreatment. One potential embodiment of a user interface for the check-inprogress is shown in FIGS. 37A-37D. The method 1300 may loop back toblock 1356 to continue manufacturing and distributing retainers, or insome embodiments may be completed. It should be understood that themethod 1300 illustrates techniques for remote orthodontic treatment andassessment for a single user; it should be understood that theapplication server 1102 may execute multiple instances of the method1300 for multiple users.

Referring now to FIG. 25, in use, the application server 1102 mayexecute a method 1400 for 3D model optimization. The method 1400 may beexecuted, for example, in connection with block 1342 of the method 1300,described above in connection with FIG. 24B. It should be appreciatedthat, in some embodiments, the operations of the method 1400 may beperformed by one or more components of the environment 1200 of theapplication server 1102 as shown in FIG. 23. The method 1400 begins inblock 1402, in which the application server 1102 optimizes the 3-Dmodels of a treatment plan.

Referring now to FIG. 26, a user interface 1500 for a smile assessmentis shown. The user interface 1500 may be used to receive a smileassessment response as described above in connection with block 1302 ofFIG. 24A. The illustrative user interface 1500 is a web page provided bythe application server 1102 to the user device 1106; however, it shouldbe understood that the user interface 1500 may be embodied as nativeapplication, managed application, or other interface of the user device1106. As shown, the user interface 1500 includes multiple input elements1502 that allow the user to provide information regarding currentcondition of the user's mouth and the user's chief complaint. The userinterface 1500 includes a submit button 1504 that, when selected by theuser, provides the smile assessment response to the application server1102. In some embodiments, the user interface 1500 may includeadditional input elements 1506 (not shown) to collect additionalinformation, such as user contact information (e.g., email address orphone number, mailing address, zip code), account information, or otherinformation.

Referring now to FIG. 27, a user interface 1600 for account status isshown. The illustrative user interface 1600 is a web page provided bythe application server 1102 to the user device 1106; however, it shouldbe understood that the user interface 1600 may be embodied as nativeapplication, managed application, or other interface of the user device1106. The user interface 1600 may be used to display the status of theuser's account, including indicating additional information requiredfrom the user or otherwise indicating the next step to be performed bythe user. For example, the illustrative user interface 1600 indicatesthat the user still needs to upload photos. The user interface 1600includes a button 1602 that, when selected by the user, launches a userinterface for uploading the photos. It should be understood that theuser interface 1600 may include information and/or actions for othersteps, such as scheduling a 3D scan appointment, reminding the user of a3D scan appointment, indicating that images were received and are beingreviewed, indicating that a treatment plan is being created, or otherstatus information.

Referring now to FIGS. 27A-27C, a user interface 1700 for uploadingimages of the user's mouth and teeth is shown. The user interface 1700may be used to receive images from the user device 1106 as describedabove in connection with block 1314 of FIG. 24A. The illustrative userinterface 1700 is a web page provided by the application server 1102 tothe user device 1106; however, it should be understood that the userinterface 1700 may be embodied as native application, managedapplication, or other interface of the user device 1106. As shown, theuser interface 1700 includes instructions 1702, 1706, 1710 andcorresponding submit buttons 1704, 1708, 1712 for the three images thatare used for photo assessment. In particular, the instructions 1702 andsubmit button 1704 shown in FIG. 28A are for an upper, open view; theinstructions 1706 and submit button 1708 shown in FIG. 28B are for alower, open view; and the instructions 1710 and submit button 1712 shownin FIG. 28C are for a straight-on, closed view. The user interface 1700further includes a button 1714 to cause the user device 1106 to move onto the dental history questionnaire.

Referring now to FIGS. 28A-28C, a user interface 1800 for a dentalhistory questionnaire is shown. The user interface 1800 may be used toreceive a dental history questionnaire response as described above inconnection with block 1322 of FIG. 24A. The illustrative user interface1800 is a web page provided by the application server 1102 to the userdevice 1106; however, it should be understood that the user interface1800 may be embodied as native application, managed application, orother interface of the user device 1106. As shown, the user interface1800 includes multiple input elements 1802 that allow the user toprovide information regarding the user's dental history. The userinterface 1800 also includes a submit button 1804 that, when selected bythe user, provides the dental history questionnaire response to theapplication server 1102. Referring now to FIGS. 28D-28E, anotherpotential embodiment of a user interface 1800 for a dental historyquestionnaire is shown.

Referring now to FIGS. 29A and 29B, a user interface 1900 for photoassessment review is shown. The user interface 1900 may be used toprovide data to the staff professional/hygienist and to receive approvalas described above in connection with blocks 1322, 1324 of FIG. 24A. Theillustrative user interface 1900 is a web page provided by theapplication server 1102 to the staff device 1104; however, it should beunderstood that the user interface 1900 may be embodied as nativeapplication, managed application, or other interface of the staff device1104 and/or application server 1102. Additionally or alternatively, insome embodiments the user interface 1900 may be embodied as an embeddedview within a staff portal user interface provided by the applicationserver 1102.

As shown in FIG. 30A, the user interface 1900 includes multipleindicator elements 1902 for the different views. Each indicator element1902 may indicate whether the image for the associated view has beenapproved, rejected, or is pending review. As shown, the user interface1900 includes indicator elements 1902 for seven potential views,including the three views described above in connection with FIGS.27A-27C, as well as four additional views that may be requested forcomplex cases. The user interface 1900 further includes an imagethumbnail 1904 for the selected view (which is illustratively a linedrawing but could include a photographic image) and a popup list 1906used to approve or reject the selected image. The user interface 1900includes a submit button 1908 that, when selected by the staffprofessional/hygienist, provides the approval to the application server1102. The user interface 1900 also includes a view 1910, shown in FIG.30B, that displays the dental history questionnaire response for theuser. The staff professional/hygienist may review data displayed in theview 1910 when performing the photo review.

Referring now to FIGS. 31A-31E, a user interface 2000 for a providerportal is shown. The user interface 2000 may be used to allow a providerto perform a photo assessment, review a treatment plan, or otherwiseinteract with a user's case. The illustrative user interface 2000 is aweb page provided by the application server 1102 to the provider device1108; however, it should be understood that the user interface 2000 maybe embodied as native application, managed application, or otherinterface of the provider device 1108. As shown in FIG. 31A, the userinterface 2000 may include a case listing view 2002. The case listingview 2002 may include a case summary view 2004 for each user assigned toor otherwise associated with the provider. Selecting a case summary view2004 may cause the provider device 1108 to display a corresponding casedetail view 2006, shown in FIGS. 30B-30E.

The case detail view 2006 may include a tabbed interface with multiplesub-views, including a patient treatment plan view 2008, shown in FIG.31B. The patient treatment plan view 2008 may provide information on thetreatment plan, the user's chief complaint, and the photo assessment,and may also allow the provider to initiate evaluation of the treatmentplan and the photo assessment. The case detail view 2006 also includesan action box 2010, which includes buttons to allow the provider toapprove or reject the treatment plan. As shown in FIG. 31C, the casedetail view 2006 may include a form and record view 2012, which maydisplay images (including treatment plan images and/or photo assessmentimages) and other documents for the provider to review. As shown in FIG.31D, the case detail view 2006 may include a case inbox view 2014 thatdisplays communications relevant to the user's case that are managed bythe application server 1102. As shown in FIG. 31E, the case detail view2006 may include a lab view 2016 that displays information for thedental lab 1110 assigned to the case.

Referring now to FIG. 32, a user interface 2100 for account status isshown. The illustrative user interface 2100 is a web page provided bythe application server 1102 to the user device 1106; however, it shouldbe understood that the user interface 2100 may be embodied as nativeapplication, managed application, or other interface of the user device1106. The user interface 2100 may be used to display the status of theuser's account, including indicating additional information requiredfrom the user or otherwise indicating the next step to be performed bythe user. For example, the illustrative user interface 2100 indicatesthat the user's treatment plan is completed and ready for viewing. Theuser interface 2100 includes a button 2102 that, when selected by theuser, launches a user interface for viewing the treatment plan. The userinterface 2100 also includes a button 2104 that, when selected by theuser, launches a user interface to purchase aligners for the treatmentplan. The user interface for purchasing the aligners may collect accountinformation, payment information, and perform other e-commerce functionsas described above.

Referring now to FIG. 33, a user interface 2200 for viewing a 3Dtreatment plan is shown. The user interface 2200 may be used to view thetreatment plan as described above in connection with block 1348 of FIG.24B. The illustrative user interface 2200 is a web page provided by theapplication server 1102 to the user device 1106; however, it should beunderstood that the user interface 2200 may be embodied as nativeapplication, managed application, or other interface of the user device1106. As shown, the user interface 2200 includes a 3D model view 2202that displays the 3D model of the treatment plan. As described above inconnection with block 1342 of FIG. 24B, the 3D model may be optimizedfor efficient viewing on the user device 1106. The user interface 2200also includes a button bar 2204 that allows the user to switch betweenparticular views of the 3D model and a slider 2206 that allows the userto switch between particular phases of the treatment plan. For example,the illustrative user interface 2200 displays a five-month treatmentplan, and the slider 2206 allows the user to display a 3D model for eachmonth of the treatment plan.

Referring now to FIGS. 33A-33F, a user interface 2300 for a staff portalis shown. The user interface 2300 may be used to store and manage alldata relating to a particular user's case. Thus, the user interface 2300may be used as an interface to a secure electronic medical recordsrepository provided by the application server 1102. The illustrativeuser interface 2300 is a web page provided by the application server1102 to the staff device 1104; however, it should be understood that theuser interface 2300 may be embodied as native application, managedapplication, or other interface of the staff device 1104 and/or theapplication server 1102. The illustrative user interface 2300 shown inFIGS. 33A-33F illustrates one potential embodiment of the documents andother data that may be stored for each user by the application server1102. As shown in FIGS. 33A-33F, the user interface 2300 includesmultiple views, with each view allowing access to part of the dataassociated with a particular user's case. As shown in FIG. 34A, the userinterface 2300 may include a case link view 2302, a prescription view2304, a treatment plan revision view 2306, and an order view 2308. Thetreatment plan revision view 2306 may track changes made to thetreatment plan during the provider's review process, as described abovein connection with blocks 1332 to 1346 of FIG. 24B, and the prescriptionview 2304 may be populated after the provider has approved a treatmentplan. As shown in FIG. 34B, the user interface 2300 may include a casedetail view 2310, which includes details on the user's contactinformation, payment information, case status, and also includes linksto the user's photo assessment and other information. As shown in FIG.34C, the user interface 2300 may include a journal view 2312, whichrecords events related to the user's case. As shown in FIG. 34D, theuser interface 2300 may include a journal entry view 2314, which allowsa staff professional or other person to enter events into the journalfor the user's case. Each journal entry may be restricted by audience(e.g., staff, provider, user, or other audience). As shown in FIG. 34E,the user interface 2300 may include a case message view 2316, whichrecords all messages sent via the application server 1102 concerning theuser's case. The messages may be exchanged, for example, between theprovider, staff, and/or the dental lab 1110 for a case. As shown in FIG.34F, the user interface 2300 may include a case file view 2318 and acase document view 2320. The views 2318, 2320 may provide an interfaceto secure storage for all images, treatment plans, consent forms, andother documents related to a user's case.

Referring to FIGS. 34-36, another embodiment of a dental tray 200includes a substantially arched mouth insert 202 that is sized andshaped to be inserted into the user's mouth. Particularly, the insert202 is sized and shaped to be received into either an upper portion or alower portion of the user's mouth. The insert 202 includes a cavity 204defined by a bottom wall 206 and a pair of sidewalls 208 extendingupward from the bottom wall 206. The cavity 204 is sized to receive theputty mixture. When the dental tray 200 is inserted into the user'smouth, the user bites down on the dental tray 200 so that the user'steeth are within the cavity 204 and bite into the putty mixture. Aflange 210 extends from a front of the dental tray 200. The flange 210is configured to be gripped by the user to insert and remove the dentaltray 200 from the user's mouth.

Referring to FIGS. 39 and 40, a container 500 containing the contents ofa dental impression kit 300 is shown according to another exampleembodiment. In some embodiments, the container 500 includes the samecontents of the dental impression kit 300 of FIG. 11. For instance, thesame container 500 may be used for shipping the contents of the dentalimpression kit 300, and for returning the contents of the dentalimpression kit 300 back to the vendor following administration of thecontents by the customer as outlined above. As illustrated, thecontainer 500 includes a first label 501, a second label 502, and athird label 503.

Specifically, FIG. 39 shows a perspective view of the container 500including the first label 501 and the third label 503. In someembodiments, the first label 501 may be a label indicating apredetermined time frame for returning the contents of the dentalimpression kit 300, as will be discussed in greater detail below. Thethird label 503 may be a label indicating that the return mailing labelis already attached to the container 500. FIG. 40 shows a side view ofthe container 500 including the second label 502. The second label 502may be a return mailing label printed or otherwise represented thereon.

In some embodiments, the container 500 may be assigned a predeterminedtime frame for returning the contents of the dental impression kit 300to the vendor. The predetermined time frame may be a predeterminednumber of business days, a predetermined number of weeks (e.g., oneweek, two weeks, four weeks, etc.), a predetermined number of months(e.g., one month, two months, etc.), etc. The predetermined time framemaybe set by the vendor. The vendor may set the predetermined time framebased on the date in which the customer ordered the dental impressionkit 300. For example, the customer may order the dental impression kit300 on a Friday. The dental impression kit 300 may be shipped out thefollowing Monday. The vendor may set the predetermined time frame fromthe date of the customer order (e.g., two weeks from the Friday). Inother instances, the vendor may set the predetermined time frame fromthe date of shipment (e.g., two weeks from the Monday). In still otherinstances, the vendor may set the predetermined time frame from the dateof receipt. Continuing the previous example, the order may be shippedovernight and received by the customer on the Tuesday following theFriday order. The vendor may set the predetermined time frame from thedate of receipt by the customer (e.g., two weeks from the Tuesday). Instill other instances, the vendor may provide a universal predeterminedtime frame (e.g., “Please return your completed impressions no laterthan two weeks from receipt of this kit” or “Please return yourcompleted impressions no later than two weeks from your order date”).

In some embodiments, the instruction manual 304 may further includeinstructions for returning the dental impression kit 300. For instance,the instruction manual 304 may include instructions to return the dentalimpression kit 300 within the predetermined time frame discussed above.

In each of these instances, the customer may be instructed to return thedental impression kit 300 within the predetermined time frame. As statedabove, in some embodiments, the predetermined time frame may berepresented on a label 501 of the box 302. In other embodiments, thepredetermined time frame may be represented in the instruction manual304 or provided on a separate label included inside of the box 302. Ininstructing the customer to return the dental impression kit 300 withinthe predetermined time frame, the customer's experience is improved byexpediting the overall process, and specifically the process ofreceiving aligners from the vendor, and ensuring that delays in thecustomer receiving aligners from the vendor are not caused by thecustomer.

The predetermined time frame may ensure that the contents of the dentalimpression kit 300 are returned at an optimal response rate. Forinstance, customers may be more likely to return the contents of thedental impression kit 300 in a timely fashion if they are provided withthe predetermined time frame, even though the vendor receiving thereturned dental impression kit 300 within the predetermined time framemay not be required for the vendor to process and return aligners to thecustomer. Additionally, the vendor may be able to plan subsequentprocesses with more accuracy based on the understanding that thecustomers will return the contents of their dental impression kit 300within the predetermined time frame. For instance, where a predeterminedtime frame for returning the contents of the dental impression kit 300is not provided, the vendor may ship out several dental impression kits300 over the course of a month and receive all the contents back fromthe customers at the end of the month. As a result, subsequent processesperformed by the vendor may be slowed down or be backed up due tocustomer delay. In providing the customer a predetermined time frame forreturning the contents of the dental impression kit 300, both vendorplanning and customer experience may be improved.

In some embodiments, the user may receive one or more messages withinthe overall process. Such messages may indicate to the user what toexpect, what are the next steps, etc. The user may receive thesemessages as text messages, e-mail messages, phone calls, etc. Forinstance, the user may receive a kit order confirmation (and/or kitshipment confirmation) when the user orders (or the vendor ships) adental impression kit 10. In some embodiments, the user may receive amessage following expiration of the predetermined time frame describedabove indicating that the user still has time for returning their dentalimpressions. The user may also receive a message when the usersuccessfully uploads the required photos. Additionally or alternatively,the user may receive a message indicating receipt of the impressionsfrom the dental impression kit 10. In some embodiments, the message mayindicate the next steps following one or more of the above occurrences.As one example, the message following receipt of the impressions fromthe dental impression kit 10 may indicate the next steps (e.g.,impression intake process, scanning the impressions directly [or a modelgenerated based on the impressions], digital sculpting of the 3D model,further sculpting and digital occluding, an orthodontics analysissoftware, generation of a treatment plan, generation of aligners, etc.).In some embodiments, the user may receive a message following each ofthese steps (e.g., a message following the impression intake process, amessage following generation of a treatment plan, etc.). In each ofthese embodiments, the user may become engaged in the next steps andexcited for their aligners.

In some embodiments, particularly those where the user has a delay inperforming one or more steps, the user may receive a message (e.g., ane-mail, a text message, a call, etc.) from a dentist or orthodontist tocheck up on the user's progress. Such embodiments may alert the user ofthe delay, thus potentially eliminating bottlenecks and increasing thelikelihood that the user will return administered impressions from theirdental impression kit 10. Additionally, such embodiments may increasethe number of kit orders by providing a personal touch for the userwhich the user may discuss with friends, relatives, co-workers, etc.

The embodiments described above facilitate the application of a dentalimpression kit at home. It will be appreciated that the dentalimpression kit and methods described herein have broad applications. Theforegoing embodiments were chosen and described in order to illustrateprinciples of the methods and apparatuses as well as some practicalapplications. The preceding description enables others skilled in theart to utilize methods and apparatuses in various embodiments and withvarious modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principlesand modes of operation of this disclosure have been explained andillustrated in exemplary embodiments.

It is intended that the scope of the present methods and apparatuses bedefined by the following claims. However, it must be understood thatthis disclosure may be practiced otherwise than is specificallyexplained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. Itshould be understood by those skilled in the art that variousalternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employed inpracticing the claims without departing from the spirit and scope asdefined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: sending a dental impressionkit to a user, the dental impression kit including dental trays ofdifferent sizes including a first set of dental trays having a firstsize and a second set of dental trays having a second size, a baseputty, and a catalyst putty, the base putty and the catalyst putty beingmixable to form a putty mixture that can be positioned in the dentaltrays for creating a plurality of dental impressions; receiving theplurality of dental impressions created using the first set of dentaltrays, the first set of dental trays having been selected by the userbased on a fit of a first dental tray of the first set of dental trayson a dental arch of the user relative to a fit of second dental tray ofthe second set of dental trays on the dental arch of the user; andmanufacturing a plurality of dental aligners based on the plurality ofdental impressions, the plurality of dental aligners being specific tothe user and being configured to reposition one or more teeth of theuser.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of dental trayscomprise upper arch dental trays and lower arch dental trays.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first set of dental trays comprise afirst set of upper arch dental trays having the first size and a firstset of lower arch dental trays having the first size, and wherein thesecond set of dental trays comprise a second set of upper arch dentaltrays having the second size and a second set of lower arch dental trayshaving the second size.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving theplurality of dental impressions comprises receiving a first set ofdental impressions created using the first set of upper arch dentaltrays and receiving a second set of dental impressions created using thesecond set of lower arch dental trays.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising sending the plurality of dental aligners to the user.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of dental impressionscomprises receiving a first set of dental impressions created using thefirst set of dental trays and receiving a second set of dentalimpressions created using the second set of dental trays.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein the first set of dental impressions are dentalimpressions of an upper arch of the user and the second set of dentalimpressions are dental impressions of a lower arch of the user.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the dental trays include a third set ofdental trays having a third size, wherein the first size is larger thanthe second size, and the second size is larger than the third size. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the base putty is provided in a firstamount of base putty and in a second amount of base putty, the catalystputty is provided in a first amount of catalyst putty and in a secondamount of catalyst putty, the first amount of base putty and the firstamount of catalyst putty being mixable to form a first amount of puttymixture that can be positioned in a first dental tray of the first setof dental trays for creating a dental impression in the first dentaltray, the second amount of base putty and the second amount of catalystputty being mixable to form a second amount of putty mixture that can bepositioned in a second dental tray of the second set of dental trays forcreating a dental impression in the second dental tray.
 10. The methodof claim 9, wherein the first amount of base putty and the first amountof catalyst putty is greater than the second amount of base putty andthe second amount of catalyst putty.
 11. A method of administering adental impression kit, the method comprising: receiving a dentalimpression kit, the dental impression kit including dental trays ofdifferent sizes including a first set of dental trays having a firstsize and a second set of dental trays having a second size, a baseputty, and a catalyst putty, the base putty and the catalyst putty beingmixable to form a putty mixture that can be positioned in the dentaltrays for creating a plurality of dental impressions; selecting, basedon a fit of a dental tray from the first set on a dental arch of a userrelative to a fit of a dental tray from the second set on the dentalarch of the user, the first set of dental trays for creating theplurality of dental impressions; creating the plurality of dentalimpressions using the first set of dental trays; returning the pluralityof dental impressions to an entity associated with manufacturing dentalaligners; wherein the plurality of dental impressions provideinformation necessary to manufacture a plurality of dental alignersspecific to the user and being configured to reposition one or moreteeth of the user.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set ofdental trays comprise upper arch dental trays and lower arch dentaltrays.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set of dental trayscomprise a first set of upper arch dental trays having the first sizeand a first set of lower arch dental trays having the first size, andwherein the second set of dental trays comprise a second set of upperarch dental trays having the second size and a second set of lower archdental trays having the second size.
 14. The method of claim 13, whereinreturning the plurality of dental impressions comprises returning afirst set of dental impressions created using the first set of upperarch dental trays and returning a second set of dental impressionscreated using the second set of lower arch dental trays.
 15. The methodof claim 11, wherein returning the plurality of dental impressionscomprises returning a first set of dental impressions created using thefirst set of dental trays and returning a second set of dentalimpressions created using the second set of dental trays.
 16. The methodof claim 15, wherein the first set of dental impressions are dentalimpressions of an upper arch of the user and the second set of dentalimpressions are dental impressions of a lower arch of the user.
 17. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the dental trays include a third set ofdental trays having a third size, wherein the first size is larger thanthe second size, and the second size is larger than the third size. 18.A method comprising: sending a dental impression kit to a user, thedental impression kit including dental trays of different sizes, a baseputty, and a catalyst putty, the base putty and the catalyst putty beingmixable to form a putty mixture that can be positioned in the dentaltrays for creating a plurality of dental impressions, the dental traysincluding a first set of dental trays having a first size, a second setof dental trays having a second size, and a third set of dental trayshaving a third size, each set of dental trays including upper archdental trays and lower arch dental trays; receiving the plurality ofdental impressions created using the first set of dental trays, thefirst set of dental trays having been selected by the user based on afit of the first set of dental trays on a dental arch of the userrelative to a fit of the second set of dental trays and a fit of thethird set of dental trays; and manufacturing a plurality of dentalaligners based on the plurality of dental impressions, the plurality ofdental aligners being specific to the user and being configured toreposition one or more teeth of the user.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the plurality of dental impressions is a first plurality ofdental impressions, further comprising receiving a second plurality ofdental impressions created using at least one of one dental tray of thesecond set of dental trays and one dental tray of the third set ofdental trays.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first plurality ofdental impressions comprise a set of upper arch dental trays, andwherein the second plurality of dental impressions comprise a set oflower arch dental trays.